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Oct
03

BNSF to build $1.5B rail complex in Southern California

BNSF Railway Co. announced plans to invest more than $1.5 billion to construct a state-of-the-art, master-planned rail facility in Southern California.

The Barstow International Gateway will be a 4,500-acre integrated rail facility on the west side of Barstow, consisting of a rail yard, intermodal facility and warehouses for transloading freight from international containers to domestic containers.

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Sep
14

BNSF Salmon Bay Bridge project awarded INFRA grant

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Sep
14

BNSF Salmon Bay Bridge project awarded INFRA grant

Rail News Home BNSF Railway 9/14/2022 Rail News: BNSF Railway
Each day, 30 to 40 freight, commuter and intercity passenger trains cross the Salmon Bay Bridge. Photo – salmonbayrailbridge.com

A $25 million grant from the federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program has been awarded to help fund the Salmon Bay Bridge project in western Washington.

Owned by BNSF Railway Co., the 108-year-old bridge is an integral rail link along which 30 to 40 freight, commuter and intercity passenger trains cross each day. The INFRA funds will be used to replace the drawbridge's mechanical system, extending the structure's operational life by decades.

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Sep
01

BNSF honors customers for sustainability efforts

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Sep
01

BNSF honors customers for sustainability efforts

Rail News Home BNSF Railway 9/1/2022 Rail News: BNSF Railway
BNSF's 2022 Sustainability Awards recognize significant achievements in sustainability efforts. Photo – BNSF Railway Co.

BNSF Railway Co. yesterday announced the winners of its inaugural Sustainability Awards, which recognize customers for making operations more sustainable.

The six 2022 winners are U.S. Steel subsidiary Big River Steel, Chevron Phillips Chemical Co., Ford Motor Co., Global Clean Energy Holdings, J.B. Hunt Transportation Services Inc. and Marathon Petroleum Corp.

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Aug
19

BNSF to lift California permit embargo next month

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Aug
19

BNSF to lift California permit embargo next month

Rail News Home BNSF Railway 8/19/2022 Rail News: BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway Co. yesterday announced it will end a temporary California permit embargo on Sept. 4.The embargo enabled BNSF "to significantly reduce backlogs and drive greater efficiencies" for its trains moving toward and in California and throughout its network, the Class I stated in a customer notification on its website."This embargo was one of several actions to improve network fluidity in Southern California. As a result, we have seen decreased congestion and increased velocity as network conditions are improving," the notice states.BNSF will continue working with individual customers "as necessary to manage traffic flows."Meanwhile, BNSF officials also commented on the Presidential Emergency Board's recommendations issued earlier this week in an effort to help resolve the labor contract dispute between the nation’s major freight railroads and the unions that represent rail employees. The two sides now have until Sept. 16 to accept the recommendations or agree to a voluntary settlement involving other terms. No work stoppages can occur until after Sept. 16.The board’s recommendations include "the most substantial wage increase in nearly 40 years," BNSF officials said in a customer notification."Even though the recommendations significantly exceeded those proposed by the carriers during this bargaining round and are far above the terms in prior settlements, BNSF is prepared to accept the recommendations brought forward by the PEB," the notification states. "We believe it is in the best interests of our customers, employees and the public for the railroads and rail labor organizations to settle this dispute without delay and prevent service disruptions."

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Aug
08

Q2 a mixed bag for BNSF with higher revenue, lower volume

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Aug
08

Q2 a mixed bag for BNSF with higher revenue, lower volume

In the second quarter, BNSF Railway Co. boosted revenue 14% to $6.6 billion and increased operating income 7% to $2.4 billion compared with second-quarter 2021 figures.

However, volume decreased 6% to 2.47 million units, operating expenses shot up 19% to $4.3 billion and the operating ratio climbed 2.8 points to 63.2, according to the Class I’s Q2 financial performance summary.

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Jul
28

BNSF opens new Tacoma intermodal facility

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Jul
28

BNSF opens new Tacoma intermodal facility

Rail News Home BNSF Railway 7/28/2022 Rail News: BNSF Railway
The South Tacoma intermodal facility is part of a joint effort between the Class I and J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. announced in March. Photo – BNSF Railway Co.

BNSF Railway Co., in partnership with the Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), yesterday announced the opening of a new rail hub at the Port of Tacoma in Washington to meet growing intermodal demand.

The South Tacoma intermodal facility is part of a joint effort between the Class I and J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. announced in March. The two companies aim to substantially improve capacity in the Pacific Northwest intermodal market, BNSF officials said in a press release.

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Jul
14

BNSF honors top safety employees of 2021

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Jul
14

BNSF honors top safety employees of 2021

Rail News Home BNSF Railway 7/14/2022 Rail News: BNSF Railway
Shown, starting with the second person from the left, are Chris Caven, Adam Florine, Jason Cox, Darrell Lippe and BNSF President and CEO Katie Farmer. Photo – BNSF

BNSF Railway Co. recently honored its Safety Employees of the Year for 2021.

The awards recognize outstanding BNSF leaders modeling safety across the major operations teams, including engineering, mechanical and transportation. Those recognized by the annual program "demonstrate BNSF’s vision and values through their commitment, leadership and focus on working safety and efficiently," BNSF officials said in the Class I's "Inside Track" newsletter.

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Jun
24

Congestion prompts BNSF to limit certain California-bound shipments

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Jun
24

Congestion prompts BNSF to limit certain California-bound shipments

Rail News Home BNSF Railway 6/24/2022 Rail News: BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway Co. announced yesterday that in response to ongoing service challenges, it will issue a temporary permit embargo on certain westbound shipments heading for California.In a customer service notice posted on its website, BNSF said the embargo will impact automotive shipments as well as specific agricultural and industrial commodities. Intermodal shipments being managed through alternate means are not part of the embargo, the advisory states."We have experienced a sharp increase in congestion throughout Southern California during the past few weeks due to several high-wind events concurrent with the high levels of traffic seeking to move through the region," BNSF officials explained. In addition, flash flooding on the main tracks of BNSF's Southern Transcon line caused a service outage this week near Laguna, New Mexico, the Class I reported. The outage resulted in temporary speed restrictions."The resulting impacts have affected our ability to effectively align resources with freight volumes, particularly the efficient utilization of train crews in the region," the advisory states. "While this embargo action will lead to some additional disruption to our affected customers in the short term, we are confident that this aggressive measure will provide the additional capacity needed to recover velocity and improve cycle times more quickly, as well as assist with resource availability."The embargo will begin June 27 for waybills with a shipping date of June 29, and is scheduled to expire on July 31. For the first week (June 29 to July 5), BNSF will consider issuing permits to embargoed destinations for certain commodities.To read BNSF's full advisory, click here.

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Jun
09

San Bernardino council clears BNSF intermodal project's environmental report

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Jun
09

San Bernardino council clears BNSF intermodal project's environmental report

Rail News Home BNSF Railway 6/9/2022 Rail News: BNSF Railway
The proposed project is designed to speed the movement of goods along a key BNSF east-west route that connects the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach with the rest of the nation. Photo – bnsf.com

The San Bernardino City Council last week certified the final environmental impact report for BNSF Railway Co.'s proposed gap closure project at its intermodal yard in the Southern California city.

The project is designed to expedite the flow of trains through the yard. About 4.3 miles of a new fourth main track will be added in two segments along the current BNSF corridor from the Class I's overpass at State Street/University Parkway to the intermodal facility.

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May
17

BNSF attendance policy tweaks are not enough, rail union leader says

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May
17

BNSF attendance policy tweaks are not enough, rail union leader says

BNSF Railway Co. last week announced changes to its controversial "HiViz" attendance policy, but a rail labor leader says the changes amount to "little more than fluff."

The policy was designed to ensure rail crews are available for their shifts to run trains to improve service reliability. But rail labor leaders have balked at the policy, claiming that it has caused locomotive engineers and other railroaders to stay on call around the clock, prompting hundreds to quit their jobs.

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May
03

BNSF reports higher revenue, profit, expenses in Q1

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